A MUM is taking legal action after, she claims, she was sent a demand for more than £5,900 by the state school her children attend.

Governors at King David school, Crumpsall, say the payments, used to maintain standards, fund religious studies and subsidise building costs, are voluntary contributions and fall well within the law.

Mother-of-two Esther Lyndley has complained to Education Secretary Ruth Kelly that the school is going too far.

Mrs Lyndley claims she has been sent "invoices" that keep a running total of what she has contributed since her children started at the school. She says governors have also pestered her to make the payments in phone calls.

She claims she was told her son would not get a place in the school's nursery unless payments for her elder daughter were up to date. Her complaint is being handled by solicitor James Wilson, a specialist in education law, who says the school is in breach of the Education Act 1996.

He said: "Parents have been telephoned, visited and been sent repeated demands for money, which is objectionable to parents in general, but is even more objectionable to parents who cannot afford to pay the money. I have written to the Secretary of State, who has powers to issue directions or orders to the governing bodies of schools when she considers the governing body is acting unreasonably."

Mrs Lyndley - who says she has been told she "owes" the school £5,945.20 - said: "They should stop sending invoices. If they are a charity and want to raise money for the school, they are more than welcome to do that in different ways."

As a voluntary-aided maintained school, it receives most of its funding from the government, but must fund up to 10 per cent of its expenses.

Joshua Rowe, chairman of governors, said since concerns were raised the word "invoice" had been removed for communications to parents but he insisted the contribution requests had been cleared by the Department for Education and Skills.